Herakleia Pontika (BC 337-305) Didrachm - Dionysios

ca 337-305 BC, time of Tyrant Dionysios. AR Didrachm (9.64g). Head of Dionysos left, wreathed in ivy / Naked Herakles left, with lion skin and club, erecting trophy of arms. aVF. Rare.

Dionysios was the unelected overlord of Heraclea Pontica and its surrounds - a tyrant. He managed to keep his domain relatively independent within the Persian Empire. The Macedonian invasion of Asia Minor in 333 BC did not disturb the area and Dionysus remained, even whilst Antigonus Mono. monitored Alexander's lines of communications. After 323 BC, as Ariarathes I of Cappadocia struck North into Sinope and much of the surrounds, still Dionysus prevailed even whilst Perdiccas and Eumenes restored order. He married Amastris the niece of the deceased King Darius III (divorced from Craterus having been wedded at Susa in 324 BC by Alexander) and she bore him 3 sons. He died in 305 BC and she ruled on with her sons. Soon Lysimachos was making advances and they married in 302 BC. VF.